Preventing Diarrhea

As I was sitting eating my crunchy, delicious 15 day–fermented sauerkraut recently, I ran across a study showing that infectious digestive disorders are among the biggest risks to our military troops who are deployed overseas. Every month, about 30 percent get infectious diarrhea. Those who had experienced even just one incident had six times the risk for subsequent functional diarrhea and four times the risk of developing irritable bowel syndrome.

The medical records of personnel deployed in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom indicate the fourth leading cause of their visits to Veterans Affairs medical centers was chronic gastrointestinal disorders. As many as 20 percent of these patients have conditions that have persisted for five years or longer after returning home.

It’s not hard to understand the high incidence of this problem, considering the stress these soldiers are under and the less-than-sanitary conditions they’re exposed to. What is hard to understand is the way these men and women are being treated.

Typical treatment focuses on the use of antibiotics to wipe out the offending bacteria. Patients are then switched to over-the-counter diarrhea treatments and bulking agents when the problem persists. Knowing what we know today, I’m amazed that probiotics aren’t being used to correct and ultimately prevent diarrhea symptoms.

I don’t have cost figures, but I’m certain that adding a daily probiotic supplement to their regimen would be an extremely cost-effective method to prevent many of these problems. And the fact that probiotics aren’t used following every round of antibiotics is absurd.

For more information on diarrhea treatments, body digestion, or bowel regularity in general, visit Dr. Williams’ Web site. While there, you can also sign up for Dr. Williams’ FREE eLetter or subscribe to his monthly newsletter.

There’s a critical connection between bowel problems and the nervous system that doesn’t receive much attention in most medical circles. In fact, in testimonials concerning the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, you’ll find that many individuals have seen a dramatic improvement or even complete reversal in such problems as schizophrenia. The same is true when bowel problems are corrected with probiotics or many of the other digestive cleansing methods I’ve discussed in this blog.

Generally, those in conventional medical circles haven’t been able to grasp the connection between toxins in the bowels and neurological disease. (Most still believe the cause of IBS, ulcerative colitis, and similar bowel problems is totally unknown.)

Between 60 and 70 percent of our immune system is located in the digestive tract, which makes sense when you realize it’s one of only three direct connections our body has to the outside world (our skin and respiratory tract are the others)—making it one of the places we are most exposed and vulnerable.

A breach in the gut wall—common in individuals with IBS, Crohn’s disease, and chronic constipation and diarrhea—is commonly referred to as “leaky gut” syndrome. This state allows toxins, bacteria, yeast, fungi, viruses, and incompletely digested foods to enter the bloodstream. An excess of these pathogens creates additional acids, fermentation byproducts, waste, and toxins that eventually overcomes our gut’s defenses.  

That’s why it is vital to maintain bowel health. It’s one of the most effective methods of improving your overall immune function. It can help prevent or reverse many of the neurological diseases on the rise in both children and adults.

Once these toxins and other particles breach our body’s protective barriers, they cause inflammation throughout the body and can often cross the blood/brain barrier, where they then interfere with the circulation and flow of nutrients to the brain—which in turn impairs consciousness, speech, cognition, and behavior. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that digestive and bowel problems are one of the principal complaints of people of all ages with depression, “brain fog,” irritability, schizophrenia, and seizures—even children with autism. It also should be no surprise to see these problems resolved when the bowel problems are corrected.

If you or your loved ones suffer from one of these neurological problems, getting rid of body toxins and restoring the bowels to normal is one thing you don’t want to overlook.

The use of probiotics is preventive medicine at its best. For this very reason it’s important to constantly replenish your body’s supply of these important life-sustaining organisms, which you can do easily with a daily probiotic supplement. And to that you can add my favorite—a nice daily helping of homemade sauerkraut to reap full probiotic benefits.

Common digestive problems are the second most common cause of hospitalizations. (Pregnancy is #1 with women and coronary problems are #1 with men.) Thousands of diseases can be linked directly to a poor digestive system.

In the case of diarrhea, one of the best diarrhea treatments is to increase your intake of cultured foods, specifically, those made milk products, such as yogurt, buttermilk, sour cream, etc.

Yogurt has been used for centuries to cure bowel problems and diarrhea. The oldest people in the world, in the mountains of Russia, reportedly use plenty of yogurt and clabbered milk as their protein source. Similarly, a study at a New York hospital confirmed that between a third and a half cup of ordinary yogurt stopped severe infant diarrhea twice as fast as the standard anti-diarrhea drug Neomycin Kaopectate (Clin. Ped.63;1(7):407-411). In fact, yogurt works so effectively at preventing diarrhea in the first place, it is routinely used for that purpose in hospitals throughout Russia, Japan, and Italy.

Yogurt can do so much more than just correct bowel problems. At least seven natural antibiotics have been isolated from yogurt and fermented milk products. One called acidolin has been shown to be as effective, if not more so, as many prescription antibiotics (J. of Antibiotics 74;27(8):631-636). Eating yogurt may also decrease the risk of cancer. One French study discovered that among women who ate dairy products, those who ate the greatest amounts of yogurt had the lowest rate of breast cancer (J.Nat.Cancer Inst. 86;77(3):633-636).
Yogurt can also drop LDL cholesterol levels as much as 10 percent in one week, while raising HDL cholesterol levels (the good kind) (Ather.77;26[3]:335-340). And regular yogurt (not the low-fat kind) contains the hormone-like substance prostaglandin E2, which, among other things, can prevent ulcers. It can even boost the immune system.

Like just about everything else these days, the type of yogurt you eat makes a difference. The label of any yogurt you buy should say it has "active cultures." Some companies pasteurize the product after it’s been made, and this kills off the remaining beneficial bacteria making it useless. If you can find products made from L. acidophilus bacteria cultures, they will have the greatest benefits. If the yogurts made in your area don’t list the type of cultures used, you may have to call or write the manufacturer.

Also, avoid the yogurts containing sugar. Usually the yogurts with fruit are loaded with sugar. Add your own fruit. Bananas give it a sweet taste and counteract the sourness. For a more consistent sweetness, try blending the banana into the yogurt in the blender.

If you have a healthy intestinal tract, you have over 400 different species of microorganisms living there. They make up two pounds of your body weight! In the stomach, very few are able to survive because of the acidity. In fact, there may be as few as 10 to 100 organisms in every milliliter (.0338 fluid ounces) of stomach content. In the small intestine, there might be anywhere from 100 to 1000 organisms per milliliter.

As you reach the junction between the small and large intestine (at the ileocecal valve), the numbers begin to grow. In the large intestine or colon, as many as one trillion organisms per milliliter are common.

Good bacteria do four key things to help promote a healthy body, digestion, and even immune system:

1. Acidify the Colon—A healthy colon pH should, ideally, be between 6.7 and 6.9. Some of the by-products that help good bacteria achievethis are lactic and acetic acids. This slightly acidic environment inhibits the growth of undesirable bacteria like salmonella (causes food poisoning), shigella (common diarrhea cause), and E coli (which can cause intestinal disease and chronic kidney failure). These bacteria also produce a volatile fatty acid that, along with the acids, makes it difficult for fungus and yeast (like Candida) to survive.
2. Promote Bowel Regularity—Good bacteria can decrease the time it takes for waste products to move through the digestive system. They can also prevent the opposite problem. In other words, they correct both constipation and diarrhea.
3. Improve the Ability of the Immune System—By providing an area for controlled antigen production, good bacteria help stimulate the formation of antibodies. They provide a natural form of vaccination.
4. Eliminates bloating and gas problems and sweetens the breath—Bad breath (halitosis) is very frequently caused when the wrong bacteria takes over in the colon and produce foul smelling waste products, bloating and gas. These gases can be expelled and/or reabsorbed into the blood, where they are later released in the lungs and exhaled. All the breath mints in the world won’t correct bad breath caused by a bowel problem.

Over the last couple of months I've provided you with treatments for addressing diarrhea symptoms. I've found that these are also useful for preventing diarrhea before it starts. Some of the treatments involve digestive health supplements, and others are dietary items. Here's a summary.

• Diarrhea treatment #1: Clay helps in preventing diarrhea by absorbing water in the bowel
• Diarrhea treatment #2: Ileocecal valve manipulation works for diarrhea treatment by closing off the valve that allows digestive products to move from your small intestine to your large intestine.
• Diarrhea treatment #3: Turmeric works to restore bowel regularity.
• Diarrhea treatment #4: Black tea restores absorption of water in the bowel.
• Diarrhea treatment #5: Carob powder is a useful diarrhea treatment for infants.
• Diarrhea treatment #6: BRAT for kids provides bulk and essential minerals that can be lost via diarrhea, along with calming the digestive tract.
• Diarrhea treatment #7: Lactic Acid Yeast wafers help support a natural bacterial environment in your gut.
• Diarrhea treatment #8: Probiotics also support a normal bacterial balance.

Here are more complete explanations for the diarrhea treatments in this "series."

I've written often about the probiotic benefits for diarrhea treatment, but the story bears repeating. Your digestive tract contains more bacteria than there are cells in your body. Preventing unwanted bowel changes and maintaining bowel regularity requires a healthy balance of the "good" and "bad" bacteria.

There's a normal die-off of both kinds of bacteria. You get inoculated with the unhealthy bugs constantly, through exposure to your environment. That makes it especially important that you restore the positive bacteria by either consuming fermented foods or taking digestive health supplements every day.

If you prefer to go the food route, look for yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, or other "live" fermented foods. They're available in most groceries, or you can do what I do and make your own. You'll find several recipes on my blog.

If, instead, you prefer the supplement route, look for probiotic digestive supplements that are guaranteed to contain at least 1 billion CFU (colony forming units), and that have at least four to ten different strains of bacteria.

There are at least two delivery systems that help get the probiotic benefits directly to your gut. One is a "beadlet" technology that protects the bacteria on their way through the upper part of your digestive tract. The other is a micro-encapsulation process called Bio-tract. Look for either one when shopping for a probiotic digestive supplement.

Here are the other diarrhea treatments in this "series."

My wife and I managed to avoid any diarrhea symptoms on our recent cruise vacation by taking probiotic digestive supplements regularly for a month beforehand.

Fortunately, there was no "cruise ship crud" on our recent vacation. This condition is caused by viruses in the norovirus family, a leading diarrhea cause. Preventing diarrhea is pretty straightforward: Good sanitation, plus a healthy gut environment. And of course, probiotic benefits include a healthy bacterial balance in your gut.

We're looking forward to going to sea again, in full confidence that we can avert diarrhea symptoms with probiotic digestive health supplements.

My wife and I are at sea right now, on a long-awaited cruise vacation. (No, that's not us in the picture.) We've been a little leery of the trip, however, because of the possibility of "cruise ship crud," the virus that seems to sweep through a cruise ship every now and then. Our goal this trip is controlling the virus and preventing diarrhea.

The virus is usually from the family called norovirus, and the main complaint is diarrhea. Symptoms also include other very unpleasant bowel changes, such as nausea, vomiting, and cramps.

We've waited long enough for this vacation that we're not taking any chances. So here's what we're doing: we're following Dr. Williams' recommendation, and taking a probiotic digestive supplement. We've been doing so for a month now in preparation. Both of us can already tell the difference in bowel regularity and general overall well-being.

I'll let you know how it goes when I get back.

An effective diarrhea treatment, especially for infants, is carob powder. 

Carob powder added to a baby’s food or formula will provide a naturally sweet, chocolate taste and stop diarrhea symptoms. More than 50 years ago, studies were performed in Canada showing that when carob was added to the formula of 230 infants with diarrhea, all but three were cured. In other parts of the world, carob powder is used both as a treatment and preventative of human dysentery and livestock diarrhea.

Carob powder is formed mostly of carbohydrates, which gives it a naturally sweet taste. If you purchase pure carob powder you won’t find any of the additional sugars, cocoa, etc. that are often added to chocolate. It also has another advantage over chocolate. It doesn’t contain caffeine or the stimulant theobromine. And, in addition to treating diarrhea, it can be used as a natural sweetener.

Carob can be found in most health food stores. Make sure you check the labeling, since some products will contain many of the same additives used in chocolate.

Here are the other diarrhea treatments in this "series."

A common traveler's diarrhea cause is infection with E.coli. This bacteria already resides in the bowels of just about everyone, of course. But there are many different strains, and getting hit with the wrong one can bring on numerous unpleasant bowel changes and turn your vacation or business travel into a disaster.

The surest way to prevent traveler's diarrhea is with a probiotic digestive supplement. Probiotic benefits include strengthening your gut so it can resist unfamiliar strains of bacteria. If you're making your plans for the summer travel season, I want to remind you to prepare early by beginning to take a probiotic digestive supplement if you aren't already doing so.

Dealing with sudden bowel changes can create an embarrassing situation. Particularly for those individuals dealing with conditions such as Crohn's or irritable bowel syndrome, the urgent need to "go" can arise in a moment.

An article in the Des Moines Register writes about public access to employee-only bathrooms. Apparently a constituent had experienced a sudden need while out shopping, and was denied access to an employee bathroom. She then went to her state senator, looking to get legislation passed requiring stores to allow the public to use their restrooms.

I'm not sure that this is exactly the best use of the Iowa legislature's time, but it is one way to address the problem. A more effective way, though, would be to address the bowel changes that create such sudden urges. Diarrhea symptoms can arise from contaminated food, but more often they arise from a disturbed environment in the digestive tract.

Preventing diarrhea isn't that hard if you know ahead of time that it may be a problem for you. Dr. Williams has numerous diarrhea treatments and suggestions for dealing with diarrhea causes and preventing the problem from appearing in the first place.

Digestive health supplements are probably the farthest thing from people's minds in Haiti right now. I can understand that. But in the space of only a few days, the survivors will begin to face common digestive problems such as diarrhea. The infrastructure in Haiti wasn't all that great to begin with, and the damage from the earthquake just means that even fewer people will have access to clean water. Diseases such as cholera could easily spring up.

The most immediate need--after search and rescue, of course--will be for clean drinking water. Diarrhea symptoms will begin early and spread quickly as people drink water from contaminated sources.

I don't foresee a planeload of probiotic digestive supplements showing up in Port-au-Prince any time soon, but aid organizations are concentrating on providing bottled water and getting filtration systems in place. Preventing diarrhea can be easy; it's a matter of making the effort.

Preventing diarrhea is mostly a matter of keeping your digestive tract in bacterial balance. One surefire way to do so is by taking probiotic digestive supplements regularly.

An Austrian company, Intercell AG, is looking at another method: a vaccine. This is no ordinary vaccine, however. It's intended to treat specifically traveler's diarrhea, the bowel changes that accompany new foods and places.

Not only is their product unique, but so is their recruitment method for study participants. Intercell provided recruits with airfare to either Mexico or Guatemala, lodging, and meals for seven days. There's even a cash bonus at the end for completing the study.

Two points of bad news, and one of good:

• The study in Central America is finished recruiting new participants, and
• The departure cities are all in either the UK or Germany. But...
• There's a new arm of the study involving travel to India (still from Europe, though).

I'm generally not a fan of vaccines, especially where there are other methods proven to prvent the condition. Nevertheless, this does look intriguing.

Natural diarrhea treatments are very effective, and easy to put to use. A few months ago, I wrote about preventing diarrhea with clay. Another simple method of preventing diarrhea is to address one cause: a stuck valve in your digestive tract.

Your ileocecal valve sits at the junction between your large intestine and small intestine. When it gets stuck, it can create several common digestive problems, including constipation and diarrhea.

This little valve has two very important jobs. First, it serves as a block that prevents the toxic contents of the large intestine from backing up into the small intestine. Second, it keeps the food products in the small intestine from passing into the large intestine before the digestive processes have been completed.

The valve can at times become either “stuck shut” or “stuck open.” Sometimes spicy or roughage-type foods will irritate the valve and cause it to stick one way or the other. Another factor that greatly influences the valve is stress or emotional trauma. Almost everyone is exposed to these factors, but some of us are more sensitive than others. When stuck shut, the closed ileocecal valve can cause constipation, and when stuck open, diarrhea will be the problem.

What to Do

When the valve is open, there are some temporary fixes that can be tried first. The valve is located on your right side, about halfway between the belly button and the hip bone. Many times you can get relief in one of two ways. First, you can hold the valve shut for several minutes. This is done by placing your hand over the valve and, while pushing in, pull up toward the left shoulder. The second way is to place a cold pack made of cold water or ice over the valve for about 15 to 20 minutes. This process can be repeated if necessary.

There are also several things that should be done for both open and closed valves. First, perform a good colon detox. Cleansing the bowel sometimes is all that's needed. I've provided several solutions for cleansing and detoxification elsewhere in this blog.

Next, spicy foods should be eliminated from the diet for a week or so. If the problem is diarrhea (open valve), it is also helpful to eliminate all roughage-type food for a short period of time. If it is a closed valve and constipation is a problem, then increase the roughage. And in both cases, alcohol, cocoa, chocolate, and caffeine products should be eliminated.

With a closed valve (constipation), add calcium and vitamin D to the diet. With an open valve (diarrhea), add a product called lactic acid yeast to the diet, which can be obtained at Village Green Apothecary at 800-869-9159. This product alone can sometimes stop even the most stubborn cases of chronic diarrhea!

Finally, and most important of all, by rubbing out the “reflex” points shown in the picture above for either an open or closed ileocecal valve, you can relieve the problem almost instantly. The areas illustrated should be massaged with firm pressure for about 10 to 20 seconds each. (It's not beneficial to rub the points any longer than that. In fact, it may negate the effect.)

A number of doctors have informed me they've been able to detoxify the body successfully  using cilantro for  removing heavy metals and other neurotoxins. I suggest consuming at least ¼ cup of tightly packed fresh cilantro stems and leaves per day during a body detoxifying regimen.

Since cilantro may release more heavy metals than the body can remove, and to prevent any metals from being deposited in the colon, I also recommend using a form of calcium bentonite clay called Pascalite. While using the cilantro for a detox period of two weeks, take 1–2 teaspoons of Pascalite mixed with water three times a day between meals. Pascalite is available at www.pascalite.com.

Tips to Keep in Mind While Detoxing

Detoxing may be a simple process, but powerful forces are at work. What an individual experiences depends on his/her level of toxicity (everyone will be different). Those who are more toxic may need to start off slowly, using smaller doses of cilantro but the same amount of Pascalite.

Signs of increased toxicity include headaches, nervousness, flu-like symptoms, or fever. Those who have taken drugs much of their lives could experience the normal effects associated with those medications or any of their side effects. You may even experience some common digestive problems such as constipation or diarrhea as your bowel adjusts to the new amount of toxins it's removing. These may be signs to slow down the detox. For some individuals, it is better to detox for only one week three or four times a year, rather than all at once. In addition to its action to remove toxins them from the body, Pascalite has a tendency to cleanse excess mucus and debris from the colon. Don’t be alarmed if this happens; it’s a good thing. But if it’s too much for you, simply reduce the dosage. 

Finally, don’t be surprised if you experience a permanent feeling of increased energy and well-being, or if any of the toxic symptoms mentioned earlier disappear. After years of  suffering from the effects of toxin exposure, most people are amazed at how effective the poor man’s chelation therapy can be.

The American holiday season is filled with many things: family gatherings, parties, special events, and gifts. More often than not, these celebrations revolve around a lot of food. While breaking bread with family and friends is an important part of the holiday tradition, an overabundance of fatty foods, sugar-laden desserts, and alcohol can really play havoc with your digestive health.

So this holiday season, consider giving yourself the gift of good digestion.

It's not difficult if you stick to a few basic "smart holiday eating" guidelines:

• Make your holiday gatherings as much about fellowship as food. This year, place the focus on conversation and social interaction rather than on the food.
• Don't go hungry. If you're headed to a party or meal where unhealthy food will abound, have a nutritious snack beforehand. It will take the edge off your hunger and bolster your resolve to avoid unwise food choices.
• Break your dieting rules carefully. Steering clear of every rich holiday dish is probably unrealistic, so choose your break from common-sense dieting rules carefully. Pick one or two things you really can't resist and enjoy them in smart portion sizes.
• Make space on your plate. Be mindful of the portions you take for every part of your meal. You don't need heaping servings or seconds.
• Eat slowly and thoughtfully. During a holiday meal (or any meal for that matter), take small bites, chew slowly, and put down your fork often to engage in conversation. Take time to savor the holiday food and company.
• Get your blood moving. Within an hour of eating, head out for a walk with others. It's a great way to rev up your circulation, improve your digestion, burn some calories, and socialize while being active.
• Drink plenty of water. When people eat heavily and drink alcohol, they often don't drink enough water to wash out the extra dietary toxins. If you drink pure, clean water before, during, and after your holiday events, not only will you feel more satiated and be less likely to overindulge, but you'll also support your body's natural digestion and detoxification processes.

Give your digestive system the extra support it needs to survive holiday stress
Addition Holiday Digestion Support

In addition to these guidelines, there are two things I recommend you do during the holidays and throughout the year to promote healthy, comfortable digestion: take a quality digestive enzyme supplement and a probiotic supplement.

Maintaining the proper level of digestive enzymes will help you break down hard-to-digest foods and keep your digestive process running smoothly and comfortably. A good formula will contain enzymes that target the three types of foods: carbohydrates, protein, and fats. You'll know it's working for you because you'll notice less bloating and gas, and feel greater overall digestive comfort.

I typically recommend one capsule of a digestive enzyme product before your two biggest meals. But if you're eating a particularly large meal, like so many holiday feasts are, you can take two capsules to help your system break down the extra food.

A top-notch probiotic will replenish the good bacteria in your gut, which also helps relieve bloating and gas, and can help prevent constipation and even occasional diarrhea. Plus, since 70 percent of your immune system actually resides in your digestive tract, a good probiotic will bolster your immune system as well as your digestive health. That's a bonus you'll want to have during the holidays, which can be a time of stress for many people.

Paying attention to how you approach food, taking enzymes to help you achieve greater levels of digestion and absorption, and using probiotics to support optimum digestive health can all make a positive difference in how you feel and help you enjoy a healthy holiday season.

As the school year begins in various parts of the country, administrators are already seeing students who have signs of the flu--something they don't normally see until February or so. If government predictions are correct, this could be one of the worst flu seasons ever, whether the swine flu itself shows up or not.

State and local governments are stocking up on vaccines and medications to address swine flu. What I haven't seen, however, is any effort to support immune health among the general population. And given that your digestive tract is an active component of your immune system, keeping your gut in top shape should be high on your list of swine flu prevention activities.

We're all exposed to a wide variety of pathogens such as the swine flu every day. The question is, why do some individuals get sick, while others do not?

As Dr. Williams has mentioned before, bacteria and viruses can be thought of as the original environmental toxins. (The diarrhea that comes from food poisoning or other digestive upset is your body's way to remove toxins all at once.) And one of the most important elements of a healthy digestive system is a healthy balance of bacteria. You might think that something that simple couldn't possibly be the answer to the flu, but it appears to be so.

If you're looking to keep your children or grandchildren healthy as they head back to school, then I'd suggest starting them on a good probiotic. Benefits go far beyond help with constipation, diarrhea, bloating, and gas, as I mentioned.

While it is possible to get probiotic bacteria from food (in fact, that's the route Dr. Williams prefers), youngsters can be notoriously resistant to strongly flavored foods such as sauerkraut and live yogurt without all the sweeteners. Probiotic digestive supplements seem to be the answer, then.

Look for a probiotic supplement that provides at least 1 billion CFU--short for "colony forming units," which means basically the number of live bacteria. (I've seen products on the market that contain up to 50 billion CFU, but more isn't necessarily better.)

Dr. Williams has formulated his own probiotic supplement, Probiotic Advantage, that is effective at keeping your gut flora in balance. One advantage of this product is that pills are tiny--which means that children who have a hard time swallowing pills will be able to get one of these down. Probiotic Advantage is available on Dr. Williams' Web site, www.drdavidwilliams.com.

Now that my youngest is getting old enough for us to travel with, I'm beginning to consider resuming some more adventurous journeys. Before he was born, I spent a lot of time in out-of-the-way places, and while traveling one of my biggest concerns was always the bowel changes that come from dealing with new foods--particularly, preventing diarrhea.

In most cases, travel-related diarrhea comes from unexpected bacteria in the local food supply--the original environmental toxins, you might say. One solution is to make sure your gut is in good condition to begin with, meaning that you want to maintain a healthy bacterial balance, so that the friendly bacteria can overcome any invasion by unknown foreign bacteria.

For me, the most effective strategy is to use the digestive health supplements known as probiotics. Benefits include maintaining bowel regularity. I've even known probiotics to work as a diarrhea treatment, though it may take a day or so for the effects to fully kick in.

Begin taking probiotics at least a week before you start your travel, so the friendlies have a chance to become well colonized, and continue throughout your trip. Look for a formulation that doesn't need to be refrigerated, so you don't have to worry about storage while you're on the go.

Believe it or not, clay is one of the most effective methods of preventing diarrhea. Clay works by absorbing water from the stool, increasing the bulk that the gut has to push against. The mineral is so effective as a diarrhea treatment that it's been used for patients with food poisoning and cholera.

Until the mid-1990s the popular anti-diarrheal product Kaopectate contained kaolin clay from Alabama and Georgia. The company changed their formula to use attapulgite clay, then around 2003 they changed the formula to get rid of clay altogether over concerns about lead levels.

There are sources of truly clean clay, in which you don't need to worry about high levels of heavy metals or environmental toxins. Look for montmorrilonite clay, often from sites in the west such as Wyoming.

Taking clay as a digestive health supplement couldn't be any easier. The simplest way is to mix a teaspoonful of the powder with a little water or juice. 

As you head out for summer picnics and backyard barbecues, remember that you can live it up and still maintain your digestive comfort. Too many individuals feel like they have to "live in the moment" at a gathering, and then later suffer from the consequences of their food choices: heartburn; bloating and gas; constipation or diarrhea; and just general digestive discomfort. It doesn't have to be that way.

Here are some tips that will help you survive summer fun. I don't want you to think that you have to sit on the side with a bottle of water and a pickle slice, but it does make a difference what you put in your body. Digestion is an important component of your overall health, and a little attention will make life easier for you and prevent bowel problems and heartburn.

• Watch the alcohol and caffeine. Both can contribute to heartburn. Here in Texas it seems like no barbecue is complete without beer and iced tea, but if you find that you're especially sensitive, then exercise some moderation.
• Watch the fat. Fat in food slows the digestive process, and can lead to cramping and pain in sensitive individuals. If you have a choice, pass on the hamburgers for some grilled chicken (or, my favorite, my brother-in-law's brisket).
• Check the salads. Broccoli and beans look like healthy alternatives, and for many people they are, but for others they're a classic source of bloating and gas.
• Pace yourself. Loading up your plate all at once is a recipe for an unpleasant evening. You'll feel much more comfortable if you graze throughout the afternoon or evening, having a little potato salad here and some of the brisket there.

If you find that you really need help to get through any type of event, then digestive enzyme supplements may be the way to go. Commonly available products such as Lactaid and Beano can help with dairy and beans. For greater support, look for a product that contains a wider variety of enzymes, including lipase (to aid in fat digestion) and amylase (for help with carbohydrates).